by Jan Domagala
“Good, I’ll pass on your recommendations to the Diplomatic Corp and they can begin negotiations with their government to see if we can’t start a dialogue with them,” Gemmell said.
“I would advise caution there, sir. I’m no diplomat, just a soldier making an observation,” Jake said swallowing hard.
“Oh, don’t worry Jake, they were just looking for an excuse to contact them anyway, this incident gave them the perfect opportunity. Talking of the Diplomatic Corp, I hear they have reinstated Natasha Garvey with full benefits and rank.”
Jake looked at the Colonel trying to keep the surprise from showing on his face.
He and Natasha were trying to work through some difficulties in their rekindled relationship since her return from Tartaran. In his opinion they needed more time to get things right which her suspension from the Corp after the incident on that Forbidden World was allowing them. If she had been reinstated then that time was at an end and they may never sort out their problems. Their career paths had been the main reason for them splitting in the first place, or so she had told him. He on the other hand, had been willing to work through it and come to some arrangement to help it work, whatever it took basically. Natasha had argued that a long distance relationship was doomed to failure and thought it best they both went their separate ways. Jake had seen it as a sign she was not willing to work at it, that it was something he wanted more than she did.
When it had inevitably ended it had not gone well, at least not for Jake.
“I’m pleased, sir, that’s good news,” Jake said, although he was dying inside.
“Okay then, well I think you all deserve some shore leave for a couple days at least. If you hurry Jake you’ll catch her before she leaves on her first posting,” Gemmell said.
“Thank you, sir,” Jake said hurriedly getting to his feet. “See you guys in a few days,” he said and left the room. He didn’t know what he was going to say to her just that he had to say something.
He just prayed he wasn’t too late.
27
The Garvey Residence
“When were you going to tell me? Were you going to tell me or were you just going to go without at least saying goodbye?” Jake asked as he stood in the doorway to the bedroom they had shared for the past few weeks.
Natasha looked up from what she was doing, packing her go-bag. Her expression told him all he needed to know. “It’s not what you think Jake,” she said.
This was the usual scenario, she had to leave on a mission and he would argue that she put her career before the two of them. He would argue that he was more committed to their relationship than she was and they would go round and round in unresolved circles.
“It looks to me like every other time you got a posting. You would leave and I would be left behind wondering why I bother to even try with us.”
“Why do you try, Jake?” Natasha asked rounding on him, fed up with the continual arguments.
“Because I love you, Tasha,” Jake said simply.
That simple statement of fact stopped her in her tracks. It wasn’t as if she didn’t already know it but this time she didn’t know how to respond.
“Clearly though, that’s not enough, so I just came to say goodbye, I’m done,” he said and turned to leave.
“Jake, how can I refuse a posting? They lifted my suspension; all the charges were dropped. I can go back to work again,” she pleaded.
Jake was walking away towards the staircase, he paused to look over his shoulder and said, “Good luck with your career, Tasha, it seems that’s all you have left now.”
“Jake, I requested an Embassy posting. I’ll be on Earth,” she shouted after him from the top of the staircase.
Jake stopped halfway down, unsure what to make of that statement. He turned to look at her. She was standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes pleading with him not to go, yet afraid to ask him to stay for fear of his rejection. Lord knows she deserved it the way she had treated him in the past. She realised just how committed he had been to their relationship, much more than she had. She had thought he had been right, that he loved her more than she loved him, how she put her career before the two of them. When she saw how he came to her rescue though on Tartaran it made her realise how much she loved him.
“When I got word of my suspension being lifted you were away on a mission. They offered me a posting with some dignitary on a distant planet. I would be in charge of his entire security detail. My chances of returning home though would be minimal so I refused. I know you have to travel and you’ll be away for long periods, but when you come home though, I want us to be able to spend time together,” she explained taking a step towards him.
Jake looked up at her; he could tell by her expression she meant every word.
His face softened as a smile crept across his mouth.
Natasha ran down the remaining few steps and flung her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground.
“I love you too you big ninny. Since I’ve been at home I’ve had plenty of time to think and you were right.”
Jake craned his neck back so he could look her in the eye.
“Hold on, you’re saying I was right?” he joked.
“Don’t push it big boy,” she replied trying to keep a straight face.
“Okay, I think this calls for a celebration. Let’s go downstairs and have a drink,” Jake said letting her down on the stairs. He turned to go down but she held onto his hand.
“I have a better idea,” she said as she led him back to their room.
Epilogue.
Qaobos
The starship approached the planet from the hyperspace window it had just exited from.
The planet was an E Class world orbiting a star several times more massive than that of our own sun. Qaobos was the fifth planet orbiting this star and was the only inhabited world in this entire sector.
Nothing was known of this world, neither the Confederation nor the Alliance had deemed it fit for further survey so it had been left alone.
It had taken the starship several days and numerous jumps through hyperspace to reach this secluded location. Its destination was a sprawling complex built on the largest landmass not too far from the largest ocean.
The complex was over a hundred storeys high and stretched over fifty miles across the land. It was the largest single building ever built anywhere in the galaxy and it was home to the Orion Cartel.
The starship parked in orbit over the citadel and a shuttle carrying one passenger exited and made its way down to a landing pad on the outskirts of the huge building.
The passenger left the shuttle and entered the citadel. He took one of the maglev cars that acted as a carrier service for inhabitants of the citadel for them to get around the interior. The journey to the centre of the citadel took only a few minutes but the passenger hardly felt as if he were moving even though he reached speeds in excess of two hundred miles an hour.
On his arrival he got out and entered the huge chamber that was home to the leader of the Orion Cartel.
“You have it?” asked the sole occupant of the huge living quarters. He was a tall man with long, dark hair tied back in a ponytail. He had the hawkish look of a predator: hooked nose, jutting chin and dark searching eyes that never left the visitor.
The visitor nodded and held out his right hand. In it was a phial that held a liquid that caught the light and sparkled as it swirled inside the container.
The man with the ponytail held out his hand and the phial was passed over to him.
“Is this all of it?” he asked never taking his eyes from the liquid.
“It is my Lord. Reports reached me that the Confederation reached Talipso and destroyed what was left of the serum there.”
“No matter, we have enough here to begin manufacture. Have them begin immediately,” he said as he passed the phial back to the visitor.
As he took the phial he bowed low at the waist in reverence to his master.
&n
bsp; “At your command my Lord,” he said as he turned and left the room.
Vido Korda, the Lord of the Orion Cartel turned away as his minion left him to his thoughts. He opened the picture window and strolled out onto the balcony that overlooked the citadel. The view always took his breath away. He had seen this grow from a settlement that had been discarded by both the Confederation and the Alliance for being not worth their time or trouble, into this, what he witnessed today. This citadel was a testament to the tenacity and determination of those settlers all those years ago. Korda was a young boy when he first arrived here with his parents with nothing more than a dream. That dream sustained him through the lean and hard years during which he learned that if you wanted anything in the galaxy, you had to fight for it, and fight he did. He fought his way to the top where he formed the mysterious Orion Cartel. Through the years he had seen the Cartel grow from a simple gang into something only spoken about in whispers. Something feared throughout the galaxy and their biggest weapon was their anonymity. Little, if anything was known about them so what was known was generally elaborated upon to the point of them becoming something of mythical proportions.
Korda did nothing to halt this trend, in fact he actively encouraged it, it gave depth to their reputation.
As he looked out over the citadel he thought about his hatred of those who cast them out. He considered how he swore to make them pay and now he had the means to carry out his threat.
The galaxy would rue the day they cast out his people for soon his people would rule the galaxy.
With a satisfied smile he turned and walked back inside. There was much to do, many preparations to make before he could implement his plan.
One final glance through the picture window told him the sun was setting. Tomorrow a new day would dawn and with it a new beginning not only for his people but also for everyone in the galaxy.
He must get to work if he wanted to make this happen.
FIN
The adventure continues....
